A report released Tuesday by The NPD Group said that U.S. consumers have emerged from the recession with a honed ability to stretch their dollars and, now faced with rising food costs, they are turning to the cost-savings tactics they’ve mastered over the past few years.

The “prediction gap” of expert opinion that endlessly disagrees between a rising economic recovery versus continuing recession illustrates the complexity and volatility of the marketplace, and how little room there is for retail chain real estate investment mistakes.

The real estate recovery is well under way, though not without some bumps, workout specialist Dennis P. Yeskey recently told a gathering of more 100 real estate professionals at the "Industry Spotlight: Finance -- Global Trends in the 2011 Real Estate Capital Markets" discussion sponsored by NYCREW, the New York area chapter of the Commercial Real Estate Women network.

A report released Thursday by Kurt Salmon Associates said that, while consumer confidence remains shaky, retail sales should see a modest increase through the holiday season, boosted by broadened growth in personal consumption.

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